Winter Olympics
December 2nd, 2008

There are plenty of different sports to keep your attention if you are watching the . They take place every four years at different locations found around the world. Some of the most exciting events of the entire Olympics take place during the winter games. The most popular winter sports events that get watched are the skiing competitions and the skating events.

There are ten different events that take place for both men and women to compete in for the Alpine skiing competition. Cross country skiing is offered as an individual and as a team event with competitions spanning over several different distances ranging from 15 km to 40 km.

Freestyle skiing allows those in competition to be judged on their style, their stunts, and the level of difficulty that they are able to offer during their routine. Ski jumping allows contestants to race down hills and then see how far they can jump in the air across an area. The way in which they land is also judged. The Nordic combined is a skiing event that offers a combination of cross country skiing combined with jumping.

Snowboarding was added to the Winter Olympic Games in 1998 and continues to be one that many people love to watch. These events require the individual to use a board strapped to their feet without any poles as you would use in regular skiing. The individual controls the direction of the snowboard with their feet and body.

In the skating categories of the , figure skating is watched by millions of viewers. There are individual and team events which have both been plagued with controversy over the years. In 1992 Nancy Kerrigan was attacked and injured while practicing for the Olympics. It was later determined that a rival, Tonya Harding, had launched the plan with her boyfriend to get Kerrigan out of the way for the competition.

In 2002 there was controversy surrounding the judges as the Canadian team had a flawless routine but the Russian team walked away with the gold. Rumors that some judges had been paid off quickly circulated and eventually the Canadian team was offered a gold medal. However, the accusations could not be substantiated enough to justify the removal of the gold medal from the Russian team.

The event of speed skating in the winter Olympics is one that has gained the attention of the audience in recent years. This involves individuals and teams racing around the ice at neck breaking speeds. There is plenty of action though to keep you on the edge of your seat as they skate around the track.

Ice hockey is always a fun sport to watch, and there are events in the for both men’s teams and women’s teams. Canada holds the record for the most gold medals in this event with 13. There is plenty of stiff competition in the ice hockey games though so make sure you tune in to cheer on your favorite teams.

The fastest sport in the is the Luge. This event involves one or two people on a small sled that quickly descends down the course. The riders control the speed and the movement of the sled with their bodies so they have to exhibit strength in their calves and their shoulders in order to be very fast.

The bobsleigh events are very similar but there are events for a full five person team as well as a two person team. They sit upright for this particular event in the while they lay down for the Luge events.

The next Winter Olympic Games will be taking place in 2010 and will be hosted by Canada. You will be able to watch all your favorite sports as the teams from around the world compete to take home the gold metals in the various individual and team sports.

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